Computer-based educational (CBE) systems are known in the art. One well known system is the PLATO system first developed at the University of Illinois. The PLATO system is a large, main frame central computer system that typically uses relatively "dumb" terminals that communicate over telephone lines with the mainframe computer. The PLATO system presents material as text or graphical matter, much akin to a textbook. The student user, via a keyboard, interacts with the system by indicating that he or she had digested the material being presented and is ready to view additional material. The student can also answer questions presented by the system. The PLATO system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,457.
CBE systems have made considerable progress since the advent of the PLATO system, as computers have become more powerful and communication between computers has become faster and more efficient. One recent system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,450, focuses on providing an automated classroom that integrates a variety of sources of video instructional materials, such as TV, CATV, VCR, video disk players, closed circuit TV, and the like, with a source of computer-based instructional materials. Students can proceed at their own pace through lessons tailored to individual needs.
Another recent CBE system emphasizes interactive group communication, wherein a teacher can interact with students, and students with each other and the teacher. The teachers and student can be geographically separated, and students are typically located in a multiplicity of remote learning centers. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,555.
Yet another CBE system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,494 includes hardware for interfacing with the public telephone network and for accepting incoming phone calls from students. Personal identification codes supplied by students connected over telephone lines allow access by the students to selected prerecorded lesson material. A record is generated for determining the use of the system by students.
Such systems are described as exemplary of known CBE systems, which tend to incorporate specialized hardware and to rely on traditional sources of material, such as prerecorded video cassettes of lessons and closed circuit TV, to address the drawbacks of traditional classroom teaching. Such drawbacks include the necessity of all students and the teacher being in the same location, the difficulty of individually pacing the learning process to each student, and the time consuming administrative duties imposed on teachers.
In recent years, the computational power of personal computers has increased dramatically, and prices have steadily fallen. communication between personal computers has also seen considerable improvement. Modem speeds have increased, and personal computers can be more easily networked, such as by the use of local area networks. Accordingly, some CBE systems tend to now be based, at least in part, on personal computers, and on the presentation of multimedia material, such as text, pictures, video and audio, via the personal computer.
For example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,349 is a virtual school interface running on networked personal computers for providing administrative and instructional functions to users in a scholastic environment. A user selects among grouped functions by accessing one of a plurality of rooms in a school. The user can interact with other users, and a courseware scheduler delivers specific courseware to specific computers during selected time periods. A learning path editor allows users to author student curriculum sequences using graphical icons.
The above CBE systems address many of the drawbacks of the traditional classroom, wherein a teacher, largely unaided by technology, instructed only those students physically present, spent considerable time on administrative duties, and taught to the class as a whole, such that all students were forced to learn at the same pace.
However, known CBE systems described above have drawbacks. Such systems can require specialized software and hardware that tend to increase the cost of the CBE system. In addition, the above systems do not appreciate the importance of the Internet as a source of educational material, as a means of communication between students and teacher, and as means for reducing the cost and expense of the CBE system to a school. Furthermore, the synergistic aspect of a traditional school environment, where teachers can share insights and build upon the expertise, experience, and efforts of others, is not typically a salient feature of known CBE systems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to address one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art. Other more specific objects will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in light of the disclosure herein.